Man Upstairs

English

Etymology

From the traditional Biblical notions of a masculine God and a Heaven located above the Earth.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Proper noun

the Man Upstairs

1. (slang, humorous) God.
   • 1972, Harold Edward Fey, The Christian Century Reader:

     A rhapsodic inquiry greets us from the TV screen and the radio: "Have you talked to the Man Upstairs?" God is a friendly neighbor who dwells in the apartment just above. Call on him any time, especially if you are feeling a little blue.

   • 2000, Lee Roberson, Diamonds in the Rough:

     "Oh, you know, the Man upstairs has been good to this person." I kept on pressing for an explanation. Finally I was told, "Oh, you know, the Man upstairs—He's the One who answers prayer."

   • 2007, Ellen Santilli Vaughn, Time Peace: Living Here and Now with a Timeless God:

     God can't be found in unsanctified imaginations or in the caricatures of pop culture. He is not The Man Upstairs. He does not "help those who help themselves."